Legislative Hearings

15 West Kellogg Blvd. City of Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN 55102 Meeting Minutes - Action Only Legislative Hearings Marcia Moermond, Legislative Hearing Officer Mai Vang, Hearing Coordinator Jean Birkholz, Hearing Secretary legislativehearings@ci.stpaul.mn.us 651-266-8585 Tuesday, January 22, 2019 9:00 AM Room 330 City Hall & Court House 9:00 a.m. Hearings Special Tax Assessments 1 RLH TA 19-33 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 37 ATWATER STREET. (File No. J1909A, Assessment No. 198508) Sponsors: Thao Rescheduled to Feb. 19 @ 9 am per appellant's request. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 2/19/2019 2 RLH TA 19-40 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 500 BELLOWS STREET. (File No. J1909A, Assessment No. 198508) Sponsors: Noecker Angelica Harmon, owner, appeared. Supervisor Lisa Martin: Cost: $160 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $322 Gold Card Returned by: ANGELICA HARMON Type of Order/Fee: TGW ORDER Nuisance: FAILURE TO CUT GRASS Date of Orders: 9-26-18 Compliance Date: 9-30-18 Re-Check Date: 10-1-18 Date Work Done: 10-3-18 Work Order #: 18- 109149 Returned Mail?: NO Comments: History of Orders on Property: NO VIDEO - crew cut grass on the entire property; rank plant grown cut Ms. Moermond: grass in front was really wet; hard to tell if it was tall or not -Noticed there was no history City of Saint Paul Page 1 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Ms. Harmon: 1st time home buyer; closed Sep 26, 2018; officially move in 1 week after that; at closing, the previous owner admitted he hadn't been at the property for months Ms. Moermond: Notice went to previous owner; you had no way to know -bring in your closing document Ms. Harmon: OK; I have all the paperwork ____ Delete provided owner submits closing documentation to confirm closing date. Closing documentation was submitted on 1/28/19 and was reviewed and approved by the hearing officer. Delete. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 3 RLH TA 19-37 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 530 CHARLES AVENUE. (File No. J1909A, Assessment No. 198508) Sponsors: Thao Lewis Yang, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $440 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $602 Gold Card Returned by:LEWIS YANG Type of Order/Fee: SUMMARY ABATEMENT Nuisance: FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EXTERIOR PROPERTY (remove appliances, furniture, concrete chunks, tire, cardboard, misc debris from blvd, front yard, rear yard & behind garage by alley) Date of Orders: 9-27-18 Compliance Date: 10-4-18 Re-Check Date: 10-4-18 Date Work Done: 10-5-18 Work Order #: 18-110651 Returned Mail?: NO Comments: History of Orders on Property: 2-15-18, 3-29-18, AND 11-21-18 Orders ON TRASH AND FURNITURE VIDEO - there's nothing on the blvd; crew removed furniture leaning up against the house, tables, improperly stored items, 3 wood chairs, recliner, strollers, high chair, mirror, refrigerator, misc debris from yard -concrete chunks were on east adjacent vacant lot - did not remove -did not remove kid's toys, tools, lawn mowers, swing Mr. Yang: when was Video taken? Ms. Moermond: Oct 5, 2018 Mr. Yang: my handy man went there Wed Oct 3 @ 10:30 pm & text'd me that the yard City of Saint Paul Page 2 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 was clean now; I'm confused; Oct 4 was the deadline, so I had him go look; we always have problems with people dumping on that empty lot & the city will come to us & say that it's ours; we keep telling the city that it's not our lot Ms. Moermond: I checked the ownership of that lot; it's clearly not you; Ms. Martin is the Code Enforcement Supervisor for the Western half of the city; she just heard what you said & she will tell her team to be careful of that property boundary -the other stuff looks very much like the photo & description in SA Mr. Yang: I have a copy of the Order; I'm not arguing with that but I'm puzzled about my caretaker's text -we've evicted the tenant; asking if you can reduce the cost Ms. Moermond: I don't know what to tell you -I can't see if the door is still on that refrigerator -this is a huge clean up here; I can't reduce the amount; it was there; the work wasn't done Mr. Yang: we do always have people dumping on the garage side in alley; we can't just continue to pay for others throwing their stuff on the outside of the garage -is it still valid to kick it into the street & the city will pick it up? Ms. Moermond: the city is expecting that dumping will diminish greatly - starting Oct 1, 2018 when city-wide trash collection started; other suggestions: motion detector lighting; keeping yard maintained; fencing between yards Ms. Seeley: there's always been dumping there Ms. Moermond: notice was provided; there was a huge amount of material inside the yard; city did a lot of work Approve the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 4 RLH TA 18-687 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 769 COMO AVENUE. (File No. J1907A, Assessment No. 198506) Sponsors: Brendmoen Lisa Marvin appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $316 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $478 Gold Card Returned by: LISA MARVIN Type of Order/Fee: SUMMARY ABATEMENT Nuisance: FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EXTERIOR PROPERTY (remove sectional couch from blvd) Date of Orders: 8-28-18 Re-Check Date: 9-4-18 Date Work Done: 9-5-18 Work Order #: 18-100632 Returned Mail?: NO City of Saint Paul Page 3 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Comments: History of Orders on Property: 5-11-18 ORDER ON MATTRESS OUTSIDE THE TRASH ENCLOSURE VIDEO - crew removed sectional couch from blvd Ms. Marvin: our challenge - right next to us on the right, it came from there; it started there & we asked them to pick it up; we do thousands of dollars in dumping - we just get rid of it; we're property manager for 1800 units; this was literally on their property; we mentioned to them to move it; the next morning, it was closer - in the middle between ours & their properties; we got Notice so we called Waste Management; they came but they couldn't find it (because they went in the back where our containers are); we had to call them to come back & pick it up & in that time, the city took it; I found out afterwards that we could have called in; I had a great conversation with a gentleman I talked with; he's from property management; I didn't know we could do that; 6 months ago, we had a freezer dropped that you could smell a half mile away; we actually budget $3000/yr for dumping at that property along -whatever you can do to help with the cost Ms. Moermond: only history - May 11, 2018 - mattress outside trash enclosure; otherwise, you have no history Supervisor Lisa Martin: I recall this property; no history in that area; they maintain it very well Ms. Marvin: our maintenance guy goes every other day just to try to keep it clean; we get mattresses every week Ms. Moermond: Public hearing continued to July 24, 2019 and if no same or similar violation(s), will reduce to $100. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/13/2019 5 RLH TA 18-692 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 943 CONWAY STREET. (File No. J1907A, Assessment No. 198506) Sponsors: Prince Jacquelyn Brustuen, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $326 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $488 Gold Card Returned by: Jacquelyn Brustuen Type of Order/Fee: Summary Abatement Order Nuisance: Sofa on Blvd & all bags of garbage & misc rubbish from rear yard near alley Date of Orders: September 4, 2018 Compliance Date: September 10, 2018 Re-Check Date: September 12, 2018 Date Work Done: September 13, 2018 Work Order #: 18-103163 City of Saint Paul Page 4 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Returned Mail?: No Comments: History of Orders on Property: snow walk 3/2/18, garbage 10/6/17 & 8/17/17, vehicle 4/18/17 (all abated by owner) Ms. Brustuen: the history is from dumping; I had enough of it; did some research & someone next door suggested I call DSI; I called them Aug 30-31 & told them it was illegal dumping on my property; the woman said that they'd send somebody out; a few days later I got this letter; I assumed that communications had crossed; then, it was gone so I thought the city had taken care of it VIDEO - crew removed sofa from blvd & stuff near garage (car bumper, boxes, tire, bags of garbage, etc, in alley) Ms. Moermond: what did they tell you when you called in? Ms. Brustuen: they took my contact info & said they would send somebody out; they didn't say anything more than that Ms. Moermond: looks like obvious dumping; advised she put up cameras, motion sensor lights, cut plant growth, etc. & the neighbor needs to take care of her property ____ Public hearing continued to July 24, 2019 and if no same or similar violation(s), will delete. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/13/2019 6 RLH TA 19-42 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 726 EDMUND AVENUE. (File No. J1907A, Assessment No. 198506) Sponsors: Thao Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/13/2019 7 RLH TA 19-32 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 984 IGLEHART AVENUE. (File No. J1905A, Assessment No. 198504) Sponsors: Thao Andy Taylor, property manager, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $160 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $322 Gold Card Returned by: Andy Taylor Type of Order/Fee: Summary Abatement Order Nuisance: TGW Date of Orders: August 1, 2018 Compliance Date: August 5, 2018 Re-Check Date: August 8, 2018 Date Work Done: August 9, 2018 Work Order #: 18-092348 City of Saint Paul Page 5 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Returned Mail?: No Comments: NOTE: assessment was paid by West Title on 9/17/18 per RE office. History of Orders on Property: 2 complaints in 2017, Snow Walk 2/27/18 Ms. Moermond: the money was escrowed at a closing (?) Ms. Taylor: I'm assuming; we closed on this Sep 13, 2018; a month after this occurred -I'm property manager for John Blitzer & Shangyan Blitzer in CA, who didn't own the property at this time Ms. Moermond: this did happen prior to your owners acquiring the property but when the work happens during the previous ownership, that goes with the property Ms. Taylor: it was paid by West Title, who assessed it to the previous owner Ms. Moermond: right; when the payment comes after the mailing goes out to you guys, then, it gets deleted from the assessment role automatically; so, there won't be a 2nd charge on it VIDEO - nothing Ms. Moermond: photo taken Aug 8 with ruler; lawn is 12 inches tall Work was done by the city, so bill which went to assessment is accurate. Approve assessment. However, payment was made by Title Company, so assessment should be deleted from roll and not assessed a second time. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/13/2019 8 RLH TA 18-691 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 984 IGLEHART AVENUE. (File No. J1906A, Assessment No. 198505) Sponsors: Thao Andy Taylor, property manager, appeared. Ms. Moermond: this assessment also occurred prior to the closing on Sep 13, 2018 but it doesn't look like the title company paid this one Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $288 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $450 Gold Card Returned by: Andy Taylor Type of Order/Fee: Summary Abatement Nuisance: Failure to maintain exterior Date of Orders: 8-17-18 Compliance Date: 8-24-18 Re-Check Date: 8-24-18 Date Work Done: 9-4-18 Work Order #: 18-098053 Returned Mail?: No Comments: History of Orders on Property: No City of Saint Paul Page 6 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Ms. Moermond: I have photo of toilet from Aug 24, 2018 VIDEO - crew removed toilet from rear area by garage Ms. Moermond: I'm going to recommend approval of this one; you'll have to go after the previous owner; it should have been disclosed; they are responsible but didn't disclose -the Order was printed for the Appellant Approve the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/13/2019 9 RLH TA 19-45 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 880 JACKSON STREET. (File No. J1909A, Assessment No. 198508) Sponsors: Brendmoen Odi Akosionu, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $316 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $478 Gold Card Returned by: Odichinma Akosinou Type of Order/Fee: Summary Abatement Order Nuisance: Overgrown Vegetation impeding alley ROW Date of Orders: 9/25/18 Compliance Date: 10/2/18 Re-Check Date: 10/2/18 Date Work Done: 10/3/18 Work Order #: 18-109669 Returned Mail?: No Comments: History of Orders on Property: TGW 7/9/18 (abated by owner), TGW 5/12/17, 5/18/17 (abated by owner), Overhanging veg 6/22/17 (abated by owner) Ms. Moermond: let's look at the Video; the photo isn't 100% clear to me that it's a problem VIDEO - crew cut back a small amount on the corner along alley Ms. Moermond: what I was seeing wasn't that bad Ms. Seeley: just that little corner coming out of the alley Ms. Moermond: it was volunteer growth but it wasn't very bad Delete the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 10 RLH TA 19-30 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 699 JESSAMINE AVENUE WEST. (File No. J1910A, Assessment No. 198509) (Legislative Hearing continued to February 19, 2019) City of Saint Paul Page 7 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Sponsors: Brendmoen Rescheduled per owner's request. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 2/19/2019 11 RLH TA 19-46 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 1186 MARGARET STREET. (File No. J1909A, Assessment No. 198508) Sponsors: Prince Renee St. Jacque appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $316 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $478 Gold Card Returned by: Renee St Jacque (612-475-3273) Type of Order/Fee: Summary Abatement Order Nuisance: Wood Furniture in rear yard near alley Date of Orders: 9/25/18 Compliance Date: 10/1/18 Re-Check Date: 10/2/18 Date Work Done: 10/3/18 Work Order #: 18-109385 Returned Mail?: No Comments: History of Orders on Property: Nothing since February 2013 for snow and ice Ms. Jacque: I never received a letter; it was sent to Amy Rogers, who's the person I'm purchasing the house thru a Contract for Deed, so I actually never received the letter Ms. Moermond: it was sent to the Occupant & sometimes you really don't see mail that goes to Occupant Ms. Jacque: my father was dying at the time; there was so much going on, I may have missed it VIDEO - crew removed a broken dresser Ms. Jacque: that dresser had been dumped in the alley in front of my garage; my next door neighbor said that he would break it up & put it in the trash; "Don't worry about it" because I was really kind of stressed; I thought it was gone but he had moved it & I didn't even see it because it was around the corner from my garage & behind a shed -I have lots of stuff dumped that I usually just take care of -I've lived there since 2012 Ms. Moermond: your history lists one tiny thing back in 2013 for snow/ice -you have a terrific record Public hearing continued to July 24, 2019 and if no same or similar violation(s), will delete the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 City of Saint Paul Page 8 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 12 RLH TA 19-35 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 1264 MARGARET STREET. (File No. J1909A, Assessment No. 198508) Sponsors: Prince Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 13 RLH TA 19-15 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 507 MINNEHAHA AVENUE EAST. (File No. J1907A, Assessment No. 198506) Sponsors: Brendmoen Approve; no show but owner called to rescheduled. Rescheduled to 2/5/19 @ 10 a.m. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 2/5/2019 14 RLH TA 19-48 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 1475 PACIFIC STREET. (File No. J1909A, Assessment No. 198508) Sponsors: Prince Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 15 RLH TA 19-19 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 733 SHERBURNE AVENUE. (File No. J1909A, Assessment No. 198508) Sponsors: Thao Appellant called and wants to reschedule. Rescheduled to 2/19 @ 9 am. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 2/19/2019 16 RLH TA 19-38 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 1470 THOMAS AVENUE. (File No. J1909A, Assessment No. 198508) Sponsors: Jalali Nelson Heidi Farnham, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $316 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $478 Gold Card Returned by: HEIDI FARNHAM Type of Order/Fee: SUMMARY ABATEMENT Nuisance: FAILURE TO CUT BUSHES OFF ALLEY (overhanging vegetation on alley ROW) Date of Orders:10-4-18 Compliance Date:10-11-18 Re-Check Date: 10-12-18 Date Work Done: 10-12-18 Work Order #: 18-112475 Returned Mail?: NO City of Saint Paul Page 9 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Comments: History of Orders on Property: NO VIDEO - crew removed brush piles Ms. Moermond: looks like that brush had been there for quite a while (?) Ms. Farnham: I trimmed &I had the brush stacked there so I could take it to the compost; it isn't open on Wed in my area, so I planned to take it the next day & the city got to it before I did Ms. Seeley: 2 SA's were sent the same day; one was to cut overhanging vegetation; the other one was for the brush piles Ms. Moermond: we just saw the brush pile; let's see the overhanging vegetation; then, we can do both together Supervisor Lisa Martin: there was no cleanup done on the overhanging vegetation Ms. Seeley: done by owner Ms. Farnham: I went out & did all of the overhanging vegetation; it was the vine on my chain link fence; it's a clematis & is meant to be there -the Ash tree often has dead branches; the utility company cut one of the branches that was close to a line & it was quite large; I cut it up but couldn't take it until the next day Ms. Moermond: you have no history; you took care of the overhanging vegetation; you clearly made a good faith effort on the brush -I'm going to recommend this be decreased to $50 Reduce from $478 to $50. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 17 RLH TA 19-44 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 1215 VAN BUREN AVENUE. (File No. J1904A, Assessment No. 198503) Sponsors: Jalali Nelson Diane Brennan, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $316 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $478 Gold Card Returned by: Diane Brennan called Type of Order/Fee: Summary Abatement Order Nuisance: Garbage/Rubbish; remove discarded furniture on driveway Date of Orders: 7/23/18 Compliance Date: 7/30/18 Re-Check Date: 7/30/18 Date Work Done: 7/31/18 Work Order #: 18-088938 Returned Mail?: No City of Saint Paul Page 10 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Comments: History of Orders on Property: Nothing since 2003 VIDEO - crew removed chairs, etc, from driveway Ms. Brennan: my husband & I have owned/lived at this property since 1983; we also own commercial property on Snelling Ave (hair salon); we were cleaning out the basement & had some salon equipment that we tried to get rid of on Craig's list; there were several pieces that people took when we put it out; that week, we were gone on our weekly vacation (time at lake from 21-28); our nbr takes in our mail; that letter came on the Mon that we were gone & I didn't get my mail from my nbr until the day after we returned; a different nbr told me that she had seen a truck pull up & pick up the stuff in the back; I dug thru the mail & found the letter from the city; had we been home, we would have taken care of the matter Ms. Moermond: even if you're gone, you're still responsible; the work was on Wed the 31st; there was a few days in there to get this squared away; I know people put things out & others might take them but the city did dispatch a crew, who removed some items that had some size & substance to them; it wasn't nothing that happened -you have a clean record but the city did do work Public hearing continued to July 24, 2019 and if no same or similar violation(s), will reduce from $478 to $239. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/13/2019 18 RLH TA 19-53 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 899 JENKS AVENUE. (File No. J1909A, Assessment No. 198508) Neferti Goodlow, tenant, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $338 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $500 Gold Card Returned by: Neferti Goodlow appeared Type of Order/Fee: Summary Abatement Order Nuisance: TVs located front of garage and next to alley Date of Orders: September 20, 2018 Compliance Date: September 27, 2018 Re-Check Date: September 27, 2018 Date Work Done: October 1, 2018 Work Order #: 18-108472 Returned Mail?: Comments: History of Orders on Property: 5/31/16-garbage, 3 complts in 2017 for garbage VIDEO – Oct 1, 2018, crew removed multiple televisions located in back of garage Ms. Seeley: inspector on Sep 20 wrote up the TV’s; on recheck on Sep 27, he wrote another SA on mattresses Ms. Moermond: so today, we’re talking about the TV’s ($338) City of Saint Paul Page 11 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Ms. Goodlow: I was able to get rid of the mattresses; they were removed before Oct 4; I never got an Order for TV’s Ms. Moermond: it looks to me like dumping Ms. Goodlow: I have had dumping; I think someone in my neighborhood was moving at that time; usually, if Calvin Burton gets an Order, he sends it to me Ms. Moermond: can you remove that overgrowth on the side of the garage? Ms. Goodlow: absolutely; there’s no motion detector, camera or light pole in alley near my garage -I plan to live there for a while -could I get a copy of the Orders? Ms. Moermond: Ms. Vang will get that for you -looks like dumping -if no same/similar to Jul 24, I will cut this in half & divide it over 2 years Public hearing continued to July 24, 2019 and if no same or similar violation(s), I will cut this in half & divide it over 2 years Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 10:00 a.m. Hearings 19 RLH TA 19-49 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 1232 ALBEMARLE STREET. (File No. J1910A, Assessment No. 198509) Sponsors: Brendmoen Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 20 RLH TA 19-27 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 1818 BLAIR AVENUE. (File No. J1910A, Assessment No. 198509) Sponsors: Jalali Nelson Michael Nayman, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $344 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $506 Gold Card Returned by: MICHAEL NAYMAN Type of Order/Fee: SUMMARY ABATEMENT Nuisance: FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EXTERIOR PROPERTY (remove overhanging vegetation on sidewalk public ROW) Date of Orders: 10-17-18 Compliance Date: 10-24-18 Re-Check Date: 10-25-18 Date Work Done: 10-26-18 Work Order #: 18-116916 City of Saint Paul Page 12 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Returned Mail?: NO Comments: History of Orders on Property: None VIDEO - crew cut back vegetation (hedge) up from sidewalk right of way Mr. Nayman: I didn't even notice that but the complaint was, to my understanding, anything over above trees; when it said clearing the walkway, I assumed it was all one action; I didn't realize that the bushes were extending into the sidewalk; it was a misunderstanding on my part Ms. Moermond: I thought it was pretty neat; extending into the sidewalk a little bit; whatever was overhanging wasn't present when the crew showed up; you made a good faith effort to address the situation -I don't think it was that much work & -you have a perfect history Public hearing continued to July 24, 2019 and if no same or similar violation(s), will reduce from $506 to $100. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 21 RLH TA 19-20 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 1230 EDGERTON STREET. (File No. J1910A, Assessment No. 198509) Appellant called and wants to reschedule. Rescheduled to Feb. 19 @ 9 am Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 2/19/2019 22 RLH TA 19-22 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 763 HAWTHORNE AVENUE. (File No. J1910A, Assessment No. 198509) Cynthia Basso, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $274 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $436 Gold Card Returned by: TAIWAN Basso Type of Order/Fee: SUMMARY ABATEMENT Nuisance: FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EXTERIOR PROPERTY (furniture leaning on tree in blvd) Date of Orders: 10-16-18 Compliance Date: 10-23-18 Re-Check Date: 10-24-18 Date Work Done: 10-26-18 Work Order #: 18-116782 Returned Mail?: NO Comments: History of Orders on Property: 12-6-18 ORDER ON TOILET NEAR GARAGE; done by owner VIDEO - crew removed a headboard leaning on a tree in front yard on blvd Ms. Basso: we have 3 kids & were remodeling; it's the first time we put furniture out City of Saint Paul Page 13 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 for others to take; we didn't want to throw it out & we didn't have anybody to give it to; then, we got this letter & maybe in the midst of our remodeling - moving from downstairs to upstairs, we may have misplaced the Notice; we did mail back a card; it was just kind of a shock Ms. Moermond: be aware that you get 1 or 2 free bulky items; just call your hauler & let them know you have something -what about that toilet? Ms. Basso: we replaced our toilet; my husband removed it himself Ms. Moermond: Public hearing continued to July 24, 2019 and if no same or similar violation(s), will reduce from $436 to $100. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 23 RLH TA 19-36 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 690 JUNO AVENUE. (File No. J1910A, Assessment No. 198509) Sponsors: Noecker Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 24 RLH TA 19-47 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 325 MARIA AVENUE. (File No. J1910A, Assessment No. 198509) Sponsors: Prince Lawrence Esso, Esso Apartments LLC, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $270 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $432 Gold Card Returned by: LAWRENCE ESSO Type of Order/Fee: SA Nuisance: MATTRESS NEAR FENCED GARBAGE DUMPSTER (remove futon mattress propped up against fence) Date of Orders: 10/10/18 Compliance Date: 10/17/18 Re-Check Date: 10/17/18 Date Work Done: 10/18/18 Work Order #: 114545 Comments: History of Orders on Property: Very Extensive Mr. Esso: purchased property Oct 2017; it looks like the previous owner had a lot of issues with their management so, I inherited a lot of bad blood; and there's also a neighbor, who lives very close by who just drives by, then makes constant calls to the city with complaints about this property; the city is also aware of this; I scheduled a meeting with the Councilmember & Travis Bistodeau, DSI Deputy Director; at that City of Saint Paul Page 14 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 meeting, we arrived at a game plan on how to try to rectify some issues; I felt that I wasn't given a fair shake to try to turn things around because the property has such a history; whenever this neighbor makes a call, the city just sends an inspector there right away; at the meeting in Jun 2018, we brainstormed & created a strategy - since that meeting, I implemented everything that was recommended; I put new asphalt; we built a fence around the dumpster area; I have changed all tenants except for 3; it's an 11 unit bldg & before it had a lot of tenants that had drug issues, etc; we've cleaned it up; it looks beautiful; we're very proud of it; the city will testify that calls have gone way down; so, everything is working that we did; we even put in a camera system; we also agreed in that meeting that rather than the city sending an inspector right away when there's a call from this neighbor, they will give us a courtesy call to give us time to take care of this issue but we never received a call from the city regarding this; I even have an email here acknowledging that they missed that -the reason I'm here today is to humbly ask you guys to look at this fine; I feel like it's a little bit excessive because of the history of the property but if you look at what has happened since I bought it, it's a completely different property; it's completely stabilized; it's the nicest apartment property on the block -a futon mattress, OK Ms. Moermond: kind of propped up against the side -so, do you get your mail telling you there's an Order on the property? Mr. Esso: that's the thing; we didn't get any mail regarding that in Oct but that is our address; usually, when we get a Notice, we get on it right away; so, I'm not sure what happened there -one of the recommendations the city made was to have trash collected twice a week, so we do have it picked up twice a week, which is why I'm not sure how it lasted there 7 days because we also have a caretaker on site, who goes to work & comes back at 5 pm & checks around to pick up anything needed to be picked up; so, we have a lot of things in place to prevent something like this from happening; I just find it hard to believe that it was sitting there for 7 days when we have trash pick up twice a week Ms. Moermond: and yet, it appears to have been -you had your meeting in Jun 2018 (paging thru many pages of previous history) -when you bought it in Oct 2017, there continued to be a similar level of problems but you had this meeting & it looks like this is the only thing that's happened since that meeting; that's really positive; but you are responsible for dealing with this whether or not you get a "heads up" phone call from DSI Mr. Esso: I agree with you Ms. Moermond: I will decrease this; you have been working the program; it's been 6 months since that meeting & I think this is kind of a singular circumstance; you deserve to get some credit Mr. Esso: thank you so much; I really appreciate it Reduce from $432 to $100. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 25 RLH TA 19-39 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 1650 MARION STREET. (File No. J1910A, Assessment No. 198509) Sponsors: Brendmoen City of Saint Paul Page 15 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 26 RLH TA 19-41 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 155 MARYLAND AVENUE WEST. (File No. J1910A, Assessment No. 198509) Sponsors: Brendmoen Rescheduled to 2/19 @ 10 a.m. per owner's request. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 2/19/2019 27 RLH TA 19-34 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 702 PREBLE STREET. (File No. J1910A, Assessment No. 198509) Gary Hittle, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $160 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $322 Gold Card Returned by: GARY HITTLE Type of Order/Fee: TGW ORDER Nuisance: FAILURE TO CUT GRASS Date of Orders: 10-15-18 Compliance Date: 10-19-18 Re-Check Date: 10-23-18 Date Work Done: 10-23-18 Work Order #: 18-115995 Returned Mail?: NO Comments: History of Orders on Property: NO Ms. Moermond: photos look bad; let's see the Video VIDEO - crew cut grass over 8 inches tall Ms. Moermond: looks like it's gone to seed Mr. Hittle: vacant lot; bought it 2-3 years ago thru a tax forfeit program; I came today because I didn't know what this Notice was for; I didn't receive any mail on it; I've been maintaining it since I bought it; I cleaned up the property quite a bit; there's a tree line on the east side that needed a lot of attention; I carry a garbage bag with me each time I go to pick up all the beer bottles, etc, thrown on the lot -I do plan to build a house on the lot some day -I'm here to ask for leniency based on my history of maintaining the lot except for this time; I would have taken care of it had I received Notice -I go to the lot every 2 weeks Ms. Moermond: no history; you're taking care of it proactively Public hearing continued to October 10, 2019 and if no same or similar violation(s), will reduce from $322 to $100. City of Saint Paul Page 16 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 28 RLH TA 19-43 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 955 SIXTH STREET EAST. (File No. J1904A, Assessment No. 198503) Sponsors: Prince Anthony & Jackie Browne appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: Cost: $372 Service Charge: $162 Total Assessment: $534 Gold Card Returned by: Anthony Browne Type of Order/Fee: Summary Abatement Order Nuisance: Garbage/Rubbish (remove sofa & overflowing bagster in front yard) Date of Orders: 7/17/18 Compliance Date: 7/23/18 Re-Check Date: 7/24/18 Date Work Done: 7/25/18 Work Order #: 18-086789 Returned Mail?: No Comments: History of Orders on Property: 7/13/16-sofa on blvd VIDEO - crew removed the bagster from the front yard Mr. Browne: we looking for the expungement of this cost -this property was our primary residence from Oct 2005 to four years ago when we re-located to St. Louis Park; we did not receive the Notification; we learned about this assessment following up with our title company when we closed on the sale of the house on Sep 28, 2018; the process of discovery on this was they had escrowed an amount for a special assessment for a lighting project on the street; at that time, they hadn't returned the overage that they were holding in escrow & they wanted to send that overage to the city for this nuisance assessment that was on the city website from Aug 2 to current; they didn't catch it during the closing process; we weren't aware of it until we were following up on that overage being returned to us; we started to follow up on Jan 2, 2019; last Mon, Jan 14, I spoke with Lynn in Assessments (don't recall her last name); she printed out all of the mailings; the property's track record from 2005 - current, we haven't had any nuisance related items; we have maintained the yard...... -we didn't get mailings Ms. Moermond: I see that in Jul 2016, there was a sofa on the blvd that got called out; so there was 1 item noted in the record Mr. Browne: I stand corrected & I apologize; we are proud property owners & in the interest of the Video that you saw, the Sale signs were in the yard & in any market place, it would behoove the listing person to keep their property tidy & organized; we had 2 previous bagsters (Waste Management); we put in the order for the original 2 on Jul 5, 2018; they came & picked it up on Jul 12, 2018; we had already put in an order for this 3rd bagster, which is the issue we're here for today; when we showed up to continue to ready the property for Sale, it was gone; we assumed that Waste Management had picked it up Ms. Moermond: were you billed? City of Saint Paul Page 17 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Mr. Browne: we were not billed Ms. Browne: it was on our credit card, which we just pay off every month; we don't know Mr. Browne: on Dec 8, we received a text from our realtor saying "Merry Christmas; you're money is being returned" Ms. Browne: the money never came; that's how all this came about Mr. Browne: the point of going thru all these dates & detail is to show the fact that we take care of things as soon as we learn about them; that is why we're here today; I spoke with Mai Vang as early as the 15th, the day after I visited with Lynn -as far as the bagster's condition, all 3 of our bagsters have been rummaged thru into disorder; I would tidy them back up -in the original complaint, there are items on the blvd; we, too, put items out for people to take & they are usually gone within minutes; those that were there for more than a couple of days, we took care of on our own -in the spirit of common sense & accountability as well as accuracy of our actions...... Ms. Moermond: here's what it comes down for me in all of what your telling me: you're saying that you didn't get the Notice & that's why you didn't take care of it -the bagster was sitting there for a very long period of time; the grass was dead underneath it -it's not your property anymore; you've sold it -2 letters went out to the same address Mr. Browne: from what Lynn printed out for me, there's one addressed specifically to Jackie & one specifically to me, same address- so, all of that's accurate; that's the puzzling element -to address the dead grass with the heat & humidity from the rainy summer..... but... I hear your point Ms. Moermond: the city did send Notice to the owner of record with Ramsey County first class mail; you're saying that you didn't receive the Notice or you would have taken care of it; it appears that you were in the process of taking care of business; but there was quite a bit removed from the property -I'm going to split it down the middle ____ Reduce from $534 to $267. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/13/2019 Special Tax Assessments - ROLLS 29 RLH AR 19-8 Ratifying the assessments for Property Clean Up services during October 1 to 12, 2018. (File No. J1909A, Assessment No. 198508) Sponsors: Brendmoen Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 City of Saint Paul Page 18 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 30 RLH AR 19-7 Ratifying the assessments for Property Clean Up services during October 12 to 29, 2018. (File No. J1910A, Assessment No. 198509) Sponsors: Brendmoen Referred to the City Council due back on 3/6/2019 11:00 a.m. Hearings Summary Abatement Orders 31 RLH SAO 19-3 Appeal of Paul Stefanyshyn to a Summary Abatement Order and Vehicle Abatement Order at 98 GARFIELD STREET. Sponsors: Noecker Paul Stefanyshyn, owner appeared; also, Lauren Lightner from The House Calls Program, Ramsey County. Ms. Moermond: we have a couple of things going on here; I see on the Orders that your mom, Adelheid, is listed; is she still with us? Mr. Stefanyshyn: she passed away 4 months ago Supervisor Lisa Martin: there are 2 Orders: 1) Vehicle Abatement Order - 2 vehicles lacking tabs & appearing inoperable; and 2) Summary Abatement Order for the actual yard; specifically, remove vehicles, etc. & refuse from around the garage; compliance date was Jan 15, 2019 for the yard; compliance date for the vehicles was Jan 22, 2019 Ms. Moermond: what's going on & what are you looking for today? Mr. Stefanyshyn: my brother John & I are co-owners; I would like to clean up the mess; my brother has a huge hoarding issue; I've been there cleaning up the place; this is a duplex; my brother was living on the 1st floor but there wasn't an egress window in there, so he moved upstairs before mom passed; I live a block away & I'm trying to help my brother clean this up; after mom passed away, I had gotten some bills to pay on this property; I had gone to John with a friend from church & I told him that I didn't want to be stuck with all the bills for the house; that we should try to rent out the upstairs to get some income; Pastor Walt, former pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran Church, contacted me & asked if I had a place; we went to the house to look at the upstairs & he would move in Nov 1, 2018; my brother was in agreement with this; I cleaned the place & I thought we were OK with things; there had been an Order for Protection filed between John & I that was dismissed last Mon; I was so upset that I couldn't even talk when I went over there (that was my Order against him); it's been an on-going problem; my brother was gone for 4 years - the place was cleaned up nice; he came back in 2011 & it's going down hill; I can't even get into the garage-so much stuff; I spoke with the inspector about cleaning it up because if John doesn't do it, everything rests on my shoulders-gets dumped into my lap; you may remember when the house was Condemned, my brother packed up & left with his girlfriend; he only came back after things were pretty much cleaned up & my mom invited him back; I'm not sure what I could do if John called the police on me; I could say I have an Abatement Order but there needs to be some other intervention; John had mentioned that he wanted me to buy him out, which would be great & I'd be happy to do that but I don't know what he would do; he was living in the Tetons before he came back; then, City of Saint Paul Page 19 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 up north -the vehicles are John's; he does have license plates for the one vehicle that's parked on the grass but he doesn't know where he put them - somewhere in the house; he had applied for collector plates; the other vehicle he is talking about converting into an RV -I don't know where to begin there; my hands are kind of tied; when mom was alive, she wanted the bathroom on the 1st floor cleaned out so that the bathroom could be used for caregivers that came to help her; I couldn't get my brother to do that back in May; he had agreed that he would help me do it & he didn't do it; he's on the 1st floor Ms. Moermond: have you rented the 2nd floor to this pastor? Mr. Stefanyshyn: correct -the hoarding is a huge problem; John flipped out on me when he heard me say, "Let's just bring the recycling bin in;" I was just going to throw a bunch of recycling things into the container -I'm appealing so that his vehicles aren't impounded & so that we have some additional time to clean up -Mon we went before Honorable Referee Street, who tried to help us by sending us to mediation; I paid $675 for a mediator; it didn't seem to help; so,....... -Father Clay will be 93 & retired; I visited him Oct 1 in Highland -I've had Pastor Walt come to try to talk with John; he was our Assistant Wrestling Coach in High School -I'm not sure what can be done Ms. Moermond: I had hoped that Father Clay would have been able to help with some of that communication but if he's retired, he may not be able to do that anymore; it's too bad Mr. Stefanyshyn: I gave John a copy of these Orders; I put it in between the storm door on the side of the house & I mentioned it in court last Mon & he got a copy of these Orders addressed to the house -I don't have my brother's contact information; he doesn't give it out to me or any of our siblings; usually, I just go to the house -I was cleaning up & he changed the locks on me 4 times; he actually changed the locks on our mother; I sent a friend of mine over to crawl thru the basement window to unlock the door so that she could get into her own house Ms. Moermond: we've got a great big mess on the side of the house (exterior & interior items) & we're assuming that his apartment is also hoarded but we don't know for sure Mr. Stefanyshyn: I don't want to have the house Condemned; Mark Kaisersatt was there last year Ms. Moermond: right; we haven't been inside the house; there hasn't been a call to do that -I'm wondering... Ms. Lightner: House Calls was involved last year & your brother was willing to work with us; your mom was temporarily out of the home; we got the bedroom, bathroom & kitchen cleaned up & functional; John was cooperative then; it's just all this conflict between you guys -I'm willing to get him a dumpster; try to get into the home; I know that the basement was a significant concern before; we weren't able to spend as much time on that City of Saint Paul Page 20 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Ms. Martin: I was also on the property with John on Mar 9, 2018 & everything was clear; there were no issues & no Orders were issued for the interior of the property Mr. Stefanyshyn: the items outside the house do belong to John; I'd throw 90% away; the garage it also packed; I'd like us to work together -mom & I were joint tenants; I brought a copy from Ramsey County because John is claiming that he is 75% owner; I spoke with John's attorney & she explained it to me & I informed him of that; I called Property Records & was told the same thing Ms. Moermond: so, you both have an ownership position with the house; if the city goes in to clean this up, the cost will be an assessment onto the property taxes; the cost will be based on how much time it took to do it & the volume of stuff removed; it will probably be at least $1000 worth of work Ms. Martin: the vehicles will be a lot more than that; this clean up will be around $1000 Ms. Moermond: I would not like to be a neighbor of this property Mr. Stefanyshyn: we have very nice neighbor; we are very blessed Ms. Moermond: your deadline, in both cases, was a week; I'm concerned that John is predisposed to not deal with this because of his history with hoarding & giving more time won't necessarily solve it but let's give it a shot Mr. Stefanyshyn: court had ordered John to go for a psychiatric evaluation & to go for hoarding, which he complied with; I went with him but there's no one to follow up to see if he's continuing with what was recommended; could there be follow up to see if he's continuing to go to counseling classes? Ms. Moermond: Deadline: Feb 22, 2019; I will look back on Feb 26 to see if things were taken care of; if they have been taken care of, great; we'll close the book on this chapter; if they haven't been taken care of, staff will have the authority to go in & do some clean up work & tow the vehicles -Ms. Vang will send a letter to you & to John Stefanyshyn giving the deadline -if you feel that you need to have the courts involved to give some direction, bring it to the attention of Referee/Judge Street Ms. Lightner: we can work together on it; dumpster; we can also pick up some appliances outside & make some recommendations; perhaps get some help from Public Works for the other things Ms. Moermond: you can share this information with Pastor Walt or anyone else who might be able to help from the neighborhood Mr. Stefanyshyn: our court case has been dismissed; Referee Street said that he didn't feel that he could help us - that we weren't in the right court; this is more of a housing issue; he deals with harassment/restraining orders/orders for protection, etc. -if I'm there cleaning up & my brother calls the police, what can be done at that point? Ms. Moermond: you are part owner of this property so, you have the right to be there; your brother also has a right to be there; there are no restraining orders; you need to respect the officers direction but you do own this property along with your brother & you do have a Order from the city (put it in your pocket) City of Saint Paul Page 21 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Ms. Lightner: I will try to meet with John; we can put together a work plan Ms. Moermond: ____ Grant to February 22, 2019 for compliance. A new resolution will go before Legislative Hearing on February 26 to determine if the nuisance conditions have been abated. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/6/2019 32 RLH SAO 19-4 Appeal of Reyna Irazoque to a Vehicle Abatement Order at 425 BRAINERD AVENUE. Sponsors: Brendmoen Reyna Irazoque, owner, appeared. (Spanish interpreter also appeared.) Supervisor Paula Seeley: Vehicle Abatement Order: we received a complaint about 2 commercial vehicles parked in a residential district: 1) large commercial truck with commercial plates; and 2) tow truck - flat bed that says: We Buy Scrap -compliance day was Jan 16, 2019; I spoke with Ms. Irazoque on language line; I told her that I'd give her until Jan 27, 2019 to remove the commercial vehicles from the property; she indicated that her family was sick; she'd have to file an appeal if she wanted more time Ms. Moermond: basically, that is a month from when the original order was issued -what are you looking for today? Ms. Irazoque: I want to get a little bit more time; the weather is really cold & my husband suffers from pain in the bones; & the tow truck doesn't want to start; right now, my husband cannot work with the pain that he is suffering; & tomorrow, I'm having an operation on my hand -we are looking for a place to park them Ms. Moermond: are these vehicles used for your family business? Ms. Irazoque: my husband used to work for a mechanic but now, because he has this bone illness, he's not working with him anymore so, we're selling all these vehicles; he cannot work with these vehicles anymore because of his bones; I don't like the idea of having the vehicles parked out front Ms. Moermond: are they listed "for sale" now? Ms. Irazoque: yes but no offers yet & the tow truck is not working properly; that's why I'm here to request more time - until it gets a little warmer so he can work on the truck Ms. Moermond: City Council Public Hearing is Feb 6, 2019; at that time, I will recommend that you get until Mar 1, 2019 to remove the vehicles; I will have a hearing on Mar 5, 2019 to confirm whether or not the vehicles were removed & if they have not been, staff will be empowered to remove them & they will go to the police Impound Lot -if you want more time, you'll need to talk to the City Council on Feb 6, 2019 -you'll get a letter of confirmation of today's hearing results; it will take about a week because we have to have it translated first City of Saint Paul Page 22 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 ____ Grant to March 1, 2019 for compliance on the two vehicles. A new resolution will go before Legislative Hearing on March 5, 2019 to determine if the nuisance conditions have been abated. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/6/2019 11:30 a.m. Hearings Orders To Vacate, Condemnations and Revocations 33 RLH VO 19-2 Appeal of Arron King/Crystal Gullette to a Correction Notice - Re-Inspection Complaint at 341 ARBOR STREET. Sponsors: Noecker Layover to February 19. Need new or revised Power of Attorney from owner to give appellant permission to reside at the property. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 2/19/2019 1:30 p.m. Hearings Fire Certificates of Occupancy 34 RLH FCO 19-7 Appeal of John S. Jagiela to a Fire Inspection Correction Notice at 134 MONTROSE PLACE. Sponsors: Jalali Nelson Grant to March 1, 2019 for all the items except the peeling paint throughout the exterior which is granted to July 1, 2019. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/27/2019 2:30 p.m. Hearings Vacant Building Registrations 35 RLH VBR 19-8 Appeal of Abraham Resendiz Rubio to a Vacant Building Registration Renewal Notice at 622 BUSH AVENUE. Waive the VB fee for 90 days. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/27/2019 36 RLH VBR 19-6 Appeal of Gwynne Evans to a Vacant Building Registration Notice at 455 GRAND AVENUE. Sponsors: Noecker City of Saint Paul Page 23 Legislative Hearings Meeting Minutes - Action Only January 22, 2019 Grant to April 1, 2019 to get Fire C of O reinstated (main item is completing the kitchen rehabiliation); grant to November 1, 2019 to comply with the retaining wall. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/27/2019 37 RLH VBR 19-7 Appeal of Davi Yang to a Vacant Building Registration Renewal Notice at 1614 SIXTH STREET EAST. Sponsors: Prince Waive the VB fee until May 6, 2019. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/27/2019 38 RLH VBR 19-9 Appeal of Jane Barnstable Jones to a Vacant Building Registration Fee Warning Letter at 874 RAYMOND AVENUE. Sponsors: Jalali Nelson Waive the VB fee for 90 days and allow permits. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/27/2019 City of Saint Paul Page 24